Today’s end-of-season cycling news roundup travels from Holland to China and back to Italy — no Pogi in action this week, but plenty of big names (Del Toro!), big transfers and retirements — and an odd ouster, thanks to the UCI’s shrewd eye for odd-angled seatposts.
TOP STORY:
- The Tour of Holland Returns
RACE NEWS
- Magnier Doubles Up as Tour of Guangxi Begins with High Drama
- Del Toro Caps UAE’s Season of Plenty with Commanding Win at Giro del Veneto
RIDER & TEAM NEWS
- IPT Renews Core Classics and Stage-Race Riders
- Carlin Calls Time on Glittering Track Career
- Jarrad Drizners Joins Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
- Van Schip Booted from Tour of Holland for…a Seatpost Violation
Thought the season ended with the World Championships?
Or Euros?
Or Il Lombardia?
Nope! There’s still racing to be watched and enjoyed — including the resurrected Tour of Holland.
Back after a 21-year absence, the NIBC Tour of Holland* has gotten off to a brisk start. Race organizers have reshaped the route to reward versatility, not just pure sprinters: beyond the flat prologue and short sprint stage, the parcours includes a 15 km individual time trial, a hilly Limburg stage, and a final gravel-loop in Arnhem to test late GC ambitions.
On day one, in the flat 118 km circuit in Dordrecht, a break of four riders tried to make headway but were controlled by the sprinters’ teams. In the bunch finish, Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) edged out Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike (but headed to Decathlon)) in a tight final sprint to claim victory. Merlier’s win continues his impressive season haul, and Kooij’s second place nudged him up slightly in GC.
Earlier, in the prologue in The Hague, Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep) narrowly fended off a fast challenge from Australian youngster Cameron Rogers (Lidl-Trek), who fell short by just 0.28 seconds — not long after returning from heart surgery. Rogers’ strong time trial showed promising form despite his health setbacks this year.
Following Stage 1, Jakob Söderqvist leads the general classification, benefiting from bonus seconds and a consistent prologue ride.
The Tour of Holland treats us to season-ending stage racing, but this is no big-name GC competition: scanning the start list, we see…Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease A Bike) as having the best shot, once the gravel kicks in -?
But what we’d love to see…long-range GC thievery by Taco Van Der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty). If only!
*Official name
RACE NEWS
Magnier Doubles Up as Tour of Guangxi Begins with High Drama
The 2025 Tour of Guangxi has opened with two action-packed sprint finishes — and a surprise star in Paul Magnier (Soudal–QuickStep). The 20-year-old Frenchman has won both opening stages, taking control of the race and the red leader’s jersey as the WorldTour season heads into its final week.
Stage 1 in Fangchenggang, a 149 km coastal loop, ended in chaos after a late crash disrupted several top sprinters. Magnier launched early and cleanly on the left side to edge Max Kanter (Astana Qazaqstan) and Jordi Meeus (BORA–hansgrohe), taking his first WorldTour victory.
Stage 2 from Chongzuo to Jingxi covered nearly 180 km with more than 2,000 m of climbing, hinting at early GC battles. But despite attacks from riders like Jhonatan Narváez (INEOS Grenadiers) and Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma | Lease a Bike), the peloton regrouped for another fast finish. Magnier again proved unbeatable, outsprinting Pavel Bittner (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Stanisław Aniołkowski (Cofidis) to extend his overall lead.
Behind the racing, the Tour of Guangxi has also seen controversy. The Belgian Competition Authority intervened to suspend the UCI’s planned test of a new “maximum gearing” rule, after a complaint from SRAM. The decision has temporarily halted what was meant to be a quiet technical trial — adding an unexpected off-road subplot to the season finale.
With four stages remaining, the focus now turns to the hillier terrain around Guilin, where climbers like Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl–Trek), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), and Narváez are expected to challenge Magnier’s grip on the red jersey.
Del Toro Caps UAE’s Season of Plenty with Commanding Win at Giro del Veneto
UAE Team Emirates XRG closed out their Italian campaign in familiar fashion — on top. Isaac del Toro attacked once, decisively, on the final ascent of the Torricella Massimiliana and never looked back, sealing the team’s 95th victory of an astonishing season. Teammate Pavel Sivakov followed him home in second, underlining just how in control UAE have been from start to finish.
The Giro del Veneto, run over five laps of the four-kilometer Torricella climb, traditionally rewards aggression — but this time, it rewarded patience. The early breakaway, led fittingly by Elia Viviani in the final race of his professional career, was a sentimental sight but not a serious threat. The Italian veteran and his companions — Michele Bichelli, Mikel Retegi, Davide Bais, Storm Ingebrigtsen, Kevin Rosola, and Filippo D’Aiuto — were swept up long before the finale.
From there, the script belonged to UAE. Sivakov softened the field with a probing move on the penultimate climb, before Del Toro delivered the knockout. Only Romain Grégoire could briefly hold his wheel, but the Frenchman soon cracked, losing twenty seconds by the summit.
Del Toro, calm and ruthless, pressed on through the rolling final kilometers, crossing the line alone — his sixteenth win of the season, and perhaps his most commanding. Behind him, Sivakov completed the team’s one-two, while the rest of the peloton trailed in resigned silence.
It was a fitting finish: dominance distilled into a single, perfect move.
TEAM & RIDER NEWS
IPT Renews Core Classics and Stage-Race Riders
Amid continued strife, including exclusions from late-season races, Israel – Premier Tech has announced contract extensions for four key riders: George Bennett, Guillaume Boivin, Hugo Hofstetter and Nick Schultz. These signings bolster the team’s depth for stage races and one-day classics while adding leadership experience.
The quartet brings a diverse skillset and experience to the team, explains General Manager Kjell Carlström. “Every team needs a core group of riders for all race terrains, and these four all play an important role in the team,” says Carlström.
Carlin Calls Time on Glittering Track Career
Four-time Olympic medallist Jack Carlin has today announced his retirement from the Great Britain Cycling Team, calling time on a career spanning almost a decade, and two successful Olympic Games.
One of Scotland’s most successful Olympians, the sprinter has been achieving at the highest level on the track since his junior years, in both individual and team sprint events. Carlin’s career has seen him win two silver and two bronze Olympic medals, as well as five world championship medals and six elite European medals; an incredible feat.
Having found track cycling through a football injury, he joined Glasgow Riders where his natural talent quickly blossomed, and he never looked back.
On his career with the Great Britain Cycling Team, Carlin said: “After over a decade representing Great Britain on the world stage, it’s time to officially close this chapter of my sporting career.
“It’s hard to put into words how proud I feel looking back. A young boy from Paisley, who worked to the bone, chasing a dream and somehow ended up competing against the best in the world, standing on podiums and becoming Scotland’s third most decorated male Olympian.”
Jarrad Drizners Joins Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
With Jarrad Drizners, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe confirms its seventh new signing for the upcoming season. The experienced Australian will strengthen the team as an important part of the sprint train.
Drizners spent the past four professional seasons with the Belgian team Lotto. The former Australian U23 champion has established himself in the peloton as a lead-out rider with outstanding qualities: fast, resilient, and with a strong tactical sense in hectic finales. With these skills, the 26-year-old will play a key role in supporting Jordi Meeus and Danny van Poppel in next year’s sprint finishes.
Said Drizners, “I’m really excited to be joining Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe in 2026, and thankful for the opportunity and belief from the team. I am ready to take the next step in my career and looking forward to working for such incredible leaders.”
Van Schip Booted from Tour of Holland for…a Seatpost Violation
Jan-Willem van Schip’s return to form has hit an unexpected roadblock. The Dutchman was disqualified from the NIBC Tour of Holland after Stage 2 for riding a bike that didn’t meet UCI regulations — though exactly what was non-compliant remains unclear.
According to WielerFlits, the issue may lie with his seatpost — a distinctive design Van Schip has used before, notably at the Arno Wallaard Memorial. Team manager Chris de Jonge was also fined 500 Swiss francs.
It’s a tough blow for the 31-year-old Parkhotel Valkenburg rider, who’s been clawing his way back after a difficult stretch away from the sport. His recent results — a win at the Tour of Midden-Brabant and a podium at Arno Wallaard — suggested a rider rediscovering his rhythm.
Now, instead of chasing another strong GC result, Van Schip finds himself defending his equipment choices. He’s protested the exclusion, insisting he did nothing wrong.
For a rider known for his unconventional setups and aerodynamic experiments, this latest twist feels all too on-brand — though surely not the kind of attention Van Schip was hoping for.
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Coming down from the high of Il Lombardia, we thought we’d revisit Lake Como:
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